Deep fat fryer blamed for devastating chip restaurant blaze

Emergency services say a deep fat fryer was to blame for a blaze that completely gutted a seafront fish and chip shop in Norfolk on Friday.

The chip shop and restaurant on Beach Road, Hemsby, became engulfed in flames as customers and holidaymakers looked on.

Around 45 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze as thick smoke billowed across the road close to Hemsby Beach Holiday Village.

The establishment is understood to have only recently undergone a refurbishment.

Incident commander Martin Harris said smoke could be seen 200 foot in the air as he approached the scene.

He told the BBC that three members of staff tried to tackle the fire when it broke out, but they were forced to leave the building and dial 999.

“I believe it was a fire in a deep fat fryer initially, and then it spread through the chip shop quite quickly and into the restaurant next door,” he commented. “Luckily we managed to stop it before it got to the other commercial properties to the rear.”